Training Week Training Wheels

There's something strangely gratifying in seeing my Garmin 360 change from 'night mode' to 'day mode' as I drive away from the rising sun towards my first school of the year, St. Adalbert's. I will be seeing my Garmin change from 'night' to 'day' a lot on my morning drives, and sometimes will never experience the actual change to 'day' on some very rare occasions (i'm talking to you painesville) but am excited nonetheless to start another year.

Teaching elementary vs. high school for the first time was like having learned to ride a bicycle all last year with training wheels, and having made wonderful scenic and successful trips throughout the year, and then having that bike taken into the shop, and receiving in return a unicycle with a flat tire. I am attempting to ride the same wonderful scenic trips, but need to learn how to first pump the limp tire, and find my balance again.

I learned that I must have an untied shoe string radar, and speak like a witch doctor storyteller to hold children's attention. It is absolutely necessary to make eye contact with the little ones. And no matter what I did, I was never as riveting as a plastic ring with streamers on it, or a blue piece of lint on the ground for that matter.

I hope to retain one tenth of the children's imagination and fervor not only in my teaching, and work as an actor, but as a human being. Sometimes I was close to tears because I was moved by the profound ruminations of a six year old, and sometimes close to tears because a child would not stop running around the room screaming 'I'm a Half Dead Guy!' during a silent exercise.

Can't wait to travel back to CSA next week. It should be exhausting in a whole other way.